THE significant impacts of the Federal Budget cut to mobile blackspot funding for the regions and the lack of priority for improving phone and data connectivity have been outlined by a communications lobby group.
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Members of the Regional, Rural and Remote Communications Coalition (RRRCC) say the decision not to include funds for Round 4 of the Mobile Blackspot program will mean many consumers will not see improvements to coverage in the near future.
The RRRCC has about 20 member organisations including the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) and Better Internet for Rural, Regional and Remote Australia (BIRRR). Members say demand will “far outstrip” available funding and improved coverage is vital for regional consumers.
Besides impacts on farmers and town-based businesses and consumers, there are many premises, vital community areas and high traffic areas at risk from having no mobile coverage. They say rural, regional and remote areas should not be disadvantaged and want the government and telecommunications providers to build more towers.
Questioned on the issue last week, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said: "With any budget you've got to make ends meet. We're always going to bat for better outcomes but we've always got to do it in such a way that over the long-term we have our surplus.”
He referred to the government’s investment in the nbn satellites and investment in nation-wide communications and the building oftowers underthe firsttwo rounds of the Blackspot program.
Parkes Federal MP Mark Coulton said building of mobile base stations from the first three Rounds would continue. “The first three Rounds are still under construction phase of 700 towers.
“We’ll see a roll-out of towers continue.” Mr Coulton said there was still frustration with telecommunications as some towers have not been upgraded.
“People are trying to operate large amounts of data,” he said. “As the need for data grows telecos have the responsibility to update to modern hardware.
“We’re encouraging people to go into the NBN Satellite in their home to take the pressure off mobile data.”
ACCAN chief executive Teresa Corbin said: “It is disappointing that there was no ongoing commitment to fund more mobile coverage, but we were not surprised as there has yet to be an announcement of the successful locations under Round 3 of the program.”
She said the RRRCC will continue to call for an ongoing commitment to funding mobile coverage expansion which “is vital for consumers in regional Australia”.